What are models of professional growth plans including evaluations that promote the use of technology with learning?

Professional growth in the area of technology should focus on models that integrate into other subject areas. Integrating technology should be increasing student learning in a way that could not otherwise happen. A teacher must look creatively at their curriculum and wonder what resources could best help student learning. That teacher also needs to know “what IS possible” with technology.

From my experience, presentations and learning from people the teachers are already comfortable with –colleagues, is the best model. This professional development can take several approaches.

• At the beginning of each faculty meeting, one person would be asked ahead of time whether they would like to share one of their samples of a tech integrated project. This would be a 5-10 minute presentation with stated objectives and goals for learning, showing the project, sharing the rubric, etc. and explaining the ease/difficulty for the teacher & students.
  
  This always brings a group “aha” and is a good way to share what happens outside of our own classrooms. The presenter is then looked at as a resource if another teacher wants to incorporate tech features they are unsure of.
  
• Support is key to any integration: Support for the hardware and confidence that it will work; and support for the teacher’s learning when trying something new.
  Coursework– Many teachers sign up for graduate classes on how to integrate technology, or take a course on a specific program. In these classes, most often there is a good component of “how to use” the software/hardware in the classroom. Sometimes the newly learned software unfortunately is not available in that teacher’s school, and often after the class, the “expert” resource is lost.
• Workshops – Attendance at district or school-wide workshops can be the most helpful. As usual, teachers are always being stretched with schedules. Finding a time that works for many is difficult. We have found “short & sweet” is better than hours long. After school when it does not cut too deeply into the teachers “outside” of school time seems to bring attendance up. Best is… if the administrator mandates that all will be involved, but that is not easy to do. In-service days with rotating tech workshops run by the staff can be great and bring excellent results. The mentors and support remain in-house and encourages team work and collegiality.
  

Our district has workshop offerings after school taught by staff. People are finding this to be very useful although after 2 quick sessions the teacher still has many questions. The advantage here is that they have met people who can help and the instructor is also still accessible.
After the software specific workshops, we have online assessments for the teachers to take. These are skills tests (optional/not mandated) that teachers can take and receive a certificate and after receiving so many, or signing up for a certain number of workshops, they will receive a digital camera for their classroom. REWARDS! Check out the link.

http://www.cesu.k12.vt.us/profdevelopment/basicskillsforteachers/index.html

As a person who helps teachers integrate, I personally like the model of working one on one with a team or teacher. The steps:
1. Teacher has an idea or does not have an idea, but wants to incorporate technology and learn something new her/himself.
2. “Expert” helps teacher brain storm ideas. Get creative and figure out new ways students can learn.
3. The idea is born.
4. Expert and teacher work together to plan.
5. Expert and teacher stay a lesson ahead of students and together try it all out. This way the teacher learns and has the experience the students have.
6. Depending on confidence and comfort level of the teacher, either the expert teaches with teacher as a helper or teacher has the support of expert in the room on the first couple tries.
7. After the teacher gets used to the lesson, the expert can step back and be consulted as need be.

How does the rapid pace of change impact adults when using technology?

Some finally catch on to what works well, like creating a new unit using technology and online learning, but then often have to wait a year to try it out again. With the rapid innovations in technology, what happens in one year with technology could make what they did the year before seem "old hat".

Looking back @ the class presentations...

I really appreciated the passion that came from Bill & Anne.

Bill's commitment to experiential learning & classes without walls, and his Internet based explorations seem to be working well with the students he works with. Given: These students were not successful in the "traditional" classroom. But even the successful students would benefit greatly if hand-on learning happened more in our schools. He has seen and helped create self-driected learning in action and that came across in his presentation. The PPT stands alone in content (although it would not have the zest of Bill's personal presentation), yet I did not know whether to read or listen. As always with PPT, how much does the presenter say and how much do you include on the viewing screen. Maybe just the key points on the screen?

Anne's concern for women and girls not entering the STEM fields while they are very capable was presented very completely and well. She really eminates care and concern about this. At the middle level, I see the girls holding back in these areas and I also see that they use technology for different outcomes. Anne added to my "reasons why" it is so important to encourage girls to enter these fields. Our school has been part of the IBM EXCITE camp for girls for five years. Ten 7th grade girls are involved in a mentorship program whith a woman engineer. After meeting at the fun 5 day summer camp, they continue the rest of the school year with weekly communications and projects online with their mentors. They usually have a shadow day with their mentor at IBM and get together a couple times in the year at our school (a pizza lunch, a chocolate party with games, etc.) . I really think this program has a big impact on these girls. One of my boy students asked, "How come there are all those programs just for girls? Not fair!"

I was very impressed with how Dan just went right to it. Imported the lab to the gym, got the kids blogging and really dove right in. Sounded like there were some good results.

I enjoyed having a 9th grader in our class. Thanks Aimee. She actually had a very complete and an engaged list of comments for me on my presentation. I value & appreciated what she had to say.

Theresa & her colleague created a nice Spanish project that integrated technology and brought students' language skills further along.

I liked listening to all the presentations and gained some new perspectives and ideas. For me, that face-to-face contact in learning is important. That combined with our online communications is a good blend.